I'm married to you and this road…
"And now, he's about to showcase another move… what could that be?"
"There's a headstand, people, and he's about to turn over --- what was that?
He let his skateboard go!"
Hollers flooded, especially from the fan girls
who admire him - and his looks - so much.
"And he jumped up from that
highest ramp --- is he crazy? I see, he's attempting to land on his skateboard
very…"
A great clash was heard, and the noises died down.
"Oh, that fall
hurts… can he still walk?"
"No, he can't… and his fall's a critical one.
Hey! He can't stand any longer. Somebody, get him a stretcher!"
And he felt
like he was being carried away from the place where half of his life was spent.
"What do you want us to talk about?" Jirou asked as they reached the spacious
entrance of the stadium. They were of suitable distance from the noisy crowd.
The pitcher had his back leaning against the steel wall of the entry.
Taki
smiled blithely, "Jirou, do you know why I went back here?"
"Of course, I
don't! To tell you, your homecoming really took me by surprise." He paused as
they heard the announcer declare a break.
"And besides, you told Lilica the
reason a while ago and---"
"No, it's NOT the real reason."
Taki's cutting voice hinted pain… well-hidden pain, that is.
Mrs. Hiromi clamped a hand on her mouth, disbelieving everything she heard
about her son's condition.
"I-is there something --- anything --- we
can do?"
"There is surgery, madam… but I warn you that it costs a lot."
"No matter what it is, I'll take it… just save my son!"
But then he masked it up with a smiling face…
"But it's no big deal
anyway. Something I shouldn't fuss around too much."
The pitcher named Jirou
looked sternly, never believing everything that he blurted out In his thoughts,
there's something in his friend's eyes that's pained and hurt. He assumed that
there must be something bad that had happened to him abroad.
"Tell me, Taki.
Why should I believe the masks that you put on?" the tanned boy interrogated.
The pale boy's smile then vanished and was replaced by a baffled look.
Cause there's no way to escape the demons I am forced to keep.
The liquid injected in him snaked within his veins. The youth writhed in pain
and jerked about. Tears sprung out from his eyes involuntarily as he surrendered
to the pain.
"Hush, Taki…" a lady with cobalt hair just like his was holding
his head close to her. She can't bear to watch the scenario that has repeated
itself for almost a week since then
"Doctor, how long does my son has to
experience this?" she cried out.
She had been hearing her son's voice every night, crying and in pain… with such high hopes broken and ambitions gone astray. She must do something to stop this hurt and blatant feeling that tears her up inside.
"STOP IT!" Taki shrieked due to severe burning sensations crawling on
his limbs.
"Better cut my legs off than let me experience this hellish
pain!" he panted as he sunk back to the comforting mattress of his bed.
He fainted because of the drug...
"I QUITTED SKATEBOARDING."
Coffee-brown eyes met stone-cold amber ones.
"You did? Why?"
He
nodded shortly and bent slightly but surely to uncover the fractures situated
beneath the covers of his drawstring pants. There, Jirou saw the shiny metals
casts that seemed to have replaced the space occupied by his knees.
"God,
Taki. Is this--- the reason?" the tanned guy hesitantly concluded, still asking.
"Yes… I fell from the highest ramp during the European skateboarding
championships. At first, I treated it as a normal accident but then after that,
I even can't stand on my own. After the doctor's diagnosis, they found out that
my kneecaps were crushed during that untimely mishap. I spent almost a month
crippled and shut inside my room. Surgery gave me my knees back but then…"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Hiromi, but we think you can't go on with your hobby any
longer."
"But… you t-told me…"
"We're so sorry, but we did all we could.
Let's just be thankful that you have your limbs back again."
"Besides,
another injury of this kind might bring you worse effects, and the worst thing
to happen is that you might lose your legs--- for good."
"But, I promise.
I'll be cautious…" Taki pleaded.
"We're so sorry…" the surgeons bowed their
heads down low after relating the consequences of the operation.
The impaired skater shook. Jirou noticed tears falling down the floor.
"Taki…" the pitcher's expression softened as he felt his pain.
"Jirou!"
Strength drained and with no one to turn to, he fell on his comrade's chest.
The drugs I take are killing me
I think of you to ease my pain
… but you're so far.
"You know how much I love skateboarding!" he held on the green camouflage
shirt tightly as if he's holding on for dear life. "It's my ambition and my joy…
if only I didn't fall, Jirou… if only…"
"Taki…" Jirou comforted the frantic
guy by gliding his palm over the breadth of his back.
Soon, he grinned. "So…
I guess we'll be marred together for the rest of our lives…"
As we all know,
Jirou also had this joint dislocation somewhere on his shoulders.
To
continue, the pitcher's face lightened up as he added:
"But you know what? I'll be here to accept you, ailments and all, as my friend."
Through your eyes
Everything's clear
And I am home inside your arms…
Taki let go of his grip upon hearing those words and looked up, but no sooner
his blank eyes began to build up tears, sorrows of the soul, once again. He
rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hand as soon as he felt them dripping down
his cheeks.
"That's why I'm here..." he proceeded, his voice muffled by his
sobs. "... to fight you --- for the last time. After this, I'll vanish
and never show up again to the crowd who cheered for me more than enough. I'm
saying my good-bye to the limelight and will live a normal life now."
Jirou,
pitying the guy right before him and realizing that he'll be with him for the
last time, hugged him.
"I'll miss you, Taki." He revealed in a soft tone.
Taki then felt hot liquid raining on him.
"I'll miss you too, Jirou." He cried again as he sunk his face down on Jirou's shoulder.
This is such a hard parting between two long friends who met just to bid farewell... and to get hurt.
After a moment, Jirou let go and said, "Hush now, Taki. Let's dry our tears.
Don't cry because I'm happy for you."
His huge hand reached out to Taki's
cheeks and wiped away the route of the crystalline liquid that still lingered
there. The male with the cobalt shirt smiled over the gentle giant's
thoughtfulness, a sign that he's already better than okay.
"Let's go back…"
Jirou lend out his hand. Knowing that this is their last encounter, he held on…
for the last time.
Alone for now…
"We're right behind you, Kuroudo!" Kouya cheered over the lean blonde upon
the revelation that he's next in the line-up.
"I'll try my best, guys." He
passed through his team, subconsciously looking back to the tranquil boy sitting
meekly on a chair. He hadn't noticed that the certain boy was also looking at
him. The blonde had climbed about three steps of the stairs when a voice called
out, and that voice was owned by the boy--- his bestfriend. He eagerly waited
for this guy to say something. Instead of another word, this meek boy named
Kyousuke simply nodded, indirectly saying, "Go get them!"
Yes, actions really speak louder than words for these two.
The lean man returned the nod, but it was of greater value for it includes a
warm smile.
"And the second opponent is…"
Footsteps were again heard, the queer and monotonous sound that made Kuroudo
grip his Shooting Phantom tight… and tighter.
Silence made him so exasperated and
added up to the budding tension inside the pitch.
"Who could that player be?
Is he stronger than me? He might defeat me… no, I'm strong! There's no way he
can surpass me." His chain of thoughts swum incomprehensibly inside his head
that he hadn't notice that his opponent was there standing right before him on
the opposite side of the arena.
His sight, together with his thoughts, went
back in function, his whole being back to the real world.
There, thin lips
curved up and formed a naughty smirk.
Cerulean eyes went as wide as saucers
in retort for the shock that assaulted him without any warning.
And the sound of a fallen gear broke the stillness of air...